Gear operated power wrench



A. R. LAMPKE GEAR OPERATED POWER WRENCH Oct. 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed y a, 1956 k 4. mm m R Mb \W W m f A llll/l/ U Oct. 8, 1957 Fild May s. 1956 A. R. LAMPKE GEAR OPERATED POWER WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I\ 9% 6 it Arfhur R. 'L ampke IN VEN TOR. I

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United States Patent GEAR OPERATED POWER WRENCH 'Arthur R. Lampke, Buffalo, N. Y., assiguor of one-third to Andrew Feyes, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application May 8, 1956, Serial No. 583,429

3 Claims. (Cl. 81-57) My invention relates to improvements in power wrenches of the socket type for tightening nuts, bolts and for similar purposes.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a gear operated Wrench of the above type adapted to be driven by a motor or operated by hand as a ratchet wrench.

Another'object is to provide for shortening the wrench for operation in restricted spaces either by motor, or by hand, as a ratchet wrench.

Still another object is to provide in such a wrench an efiicient practical, antifriction gear drive in the wrench head for a socket driving shaft.

Yet another object is to provide for ratchet operation of the wrench by a handle, or by power drive by a motor attached to the handle and operatively connected to the socket driving shaft for power drive of said shaft.

Yet another object is to provide for dispensing with the handle and attaching a motor to the head in driving relation to the socket driving shaft so that the wrench may be shortened and the motor used as a handle for ratchet operation of said shaft or power drive thereof selectively.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in plan of my improved wrench equipped with the handle and the motor attached to the handle;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the same with the motor detached from the handle;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section partly broken away and taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view in plan of the wrench with the motor attached to the wrench head;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 77 of Figure 3, and

Figure 8 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 88 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved wrench comprises a substantially tubular head 1 having a radial neck 3. The neck 3 is provided with a threaded socket 5 in its outer end, a smooth bearing socket 7 in its inner end coaxial with the socket 5 and an annular internal shoulder 9 between said sockets 5, 7 all for a particular purpose presently seen.

The head 1 is provided therein with transmision means for rotating the usual hexagonal socket driving shaft 33 for attachment to standard socket members, not shown. The transmission means designated generally by the nua ,80 9. Patented Oct. 8, 19.57

therein by a pair of concentric annular keeper plates 25 recessed in and secured by screws 27 to the'ends of said head 1. The pins 21 are suitably fixed. to the inner race members 22 so that the bevel gear 17' and hub '19 and inner race members 22 rotate as a unit.

A pair of bushings 29 are press fitted in the inner race members'22. The bushings 29 as shown in Figure 6 are internally hexagonal in cross-section, as are also the bevel gear 17 and its hub 19 as shown in Figure 3; and form an axial socket 31 for a hexagonal relatively longer wrench socket driving shaft 33 adapted to be inserted endwise in the socket 31 to extend from one end of the head 1 out of the outer end of said head. 'The shaft 33 is provided with end friction ball detents 35 for holding the same in place and holding the extending end of the shaft in a wrench socket or the like, not shown.

A pair of stop disks 37 are pivoted by screws 39 on the keeper plates 25 for swinging over either end of the shaft 33 to limitinsertion of the same into the socket 31.

' The handle 41 is tubular with a hand grip 43 on its rear end, a reduced threaded front end 45 threaded into the socket 5 and securing a removable ball bearing unit 47 in said socket 5 against the shoulder 9, said handle having an internally threaded socket 49 in its rear end provided with another ball bearing unit 51 therein.

A drive shaft 55 extends through and out of the handle. The drive shaft 55 has a reduced front end 57 journaled in the ball bearing unit 47 and which is removably inserted with a spline driving connection, as at 59, in the hub 15 of the bevel gear 13. A reduced rear end 61 on the drive shaft 55 is journaled in the ball bearing unit 51 and through the bearing 51.

An electric motor 63 of any conventional type extends rearwardly from the handle 41 and has its power shaft 65 drivingly detachably connected to the rear end 61 of the drive 55 by a suitable spline connection 66 and a suitable chuck designated 67 having a reduced end 68 threaded into the socket 49 against the ball bearing unit 51.

A ratchet toothed bar 69 is pivoted at one end, as at 71, in the head 1 to engage the teeth of the bevel gear 17 and is locked by a leaf spring 73 thereon fastened, as at 75, to the head 1 so that rotation of the head 1 in one direction rotates the bevel gear 17 in the same direction.

To shorten the wrench, the motor 63 is detached from the handle 41, the handle 41 is detached from the socket 5, which is to say the neck 3, the drive shaft 55 is pulled loose from the hub 15 of the bevel gear 13 and chuck 67 unscrewed from the socket 49. A shorter drive shaft 77 is substituted for the drive shaft 55 a plug 53 is screwed into the socket 5 to hold the ball bearing unit 47 in place. An electric motor 79 is provided in this instance having a reduced bored front end 81 adapted to he sleeved over the drive shaft 77 and threaded into the socket 5 as shown in Figure 5 so that the motor 79 serves as a short handle for the head 1. The motor 79 is provided with a power shaft 83 having a front end splined socket 85 adapted to slip over a splined rear end 87 on the drive shaft 77.

In operation the handle 41 or motor 79 is swung clockwise as indicated by the arrrows in Figures 1 and 3 to correspondingly rotate the head 1 as indicated by the 3 arrowiinfigurej, The ratchet bar QQ r t atesthe beyel gear" '17; correspondingly to' rotate the socket driving shaft 33. -Under swinging of-t'ne handle 41' or motor 79 in the opposite direction, the ratchet bar 63 ratchets over the bevel gear 17. Thus the wrench is usable as a. hand wrench.

The motors 63, 79 operate the drive shafts 55, 77 in a direction to rotate thebevel gear clockwise 'as viewed in Figure 3 for corresponding 'rotation'of the 'so cket driv-' ing 'shaft'33, the ratchet bar 69 ratcheting over said gear 17 but acting as a brake to retard idle spinning'of the gear 1! and socket driving shaft 33.

"As willbe clear the socket drivingshaft is inserted in the socket 31 from one end of the'head'forpower'drive clockwise but may be inserted from the "other end and the 'vi ren'ch'inverted "for power drive 015- said'fshaft 33 countereclock'wise. V

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention.Further;since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to'"those skillediin the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and dc scribedfand accordingly all suitable modifications and of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed-as new is as follows:

ll A wrench including a tubular head having a radial neck, a pair of spaced anti-frictionbearing units secured in opposite ends of said head each having a rotary inner race member, a bevelled gear in said head having a hub bearingla'gainstjone inner race member, a sleeve between said hub and tthe other inner race member bearing against aridspacing' the inner race members and maintaining equivalents maybe resorted" to; falling "within the 'scope the hnb against the first namiinnerrace member, said inner race members, hub and sleeve being internally polygonal'to form a polygenalrotarydriving socket for a polygonal Wrench socket driving shaft slidable into the polygonal socket from either end of the head, pins fixed to said inner race members and extending through said hub and sleeve to maintain said inner race members, hub and sleeve in socket forpsjn alignment, and a power shaft for driving said scene driving shaft extending through menf SQiQHQFQ Q nds-anem a qqan to said bevelled gear within said head.

2. A'\vrnc h""a:sin claim I; "and-annular plates fixed in the ends of said head'and"coaiially'aprtured to receive e. Rel -salsa -1- rlriYi ls-sbstt or. se uins-said hearing units in the head.

3. A wrench as in claim 2, and a pivoted stop disc on each of said plates swingable over the aperture therein for closing the polygonal socket at that end of the head to form an abutment for said polygonal shaft at either s b he weat er?" Refereacaqited afle fi fia t retrea 

